Method of trimming heel covers



Dec. 1, 1931. c. a. BROSTROM METHOD OF TRIMMING HEEL COVERS Original Filed May 21, 1927 Patented Dec. 1, 1931 i i UNITED STATES CHARLES G. BROSTROM, F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO U'NIJPEID SHOE PATENT OFFICE LIACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY Original application filed May 21,-1927,

METHOD OF TRIMMING HEEL COVERS Serial No..193,336. Divided and this application filed June 16,

1930. Serial No. 461,439.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of shoes and is herein exemplified With special reference to trimming the covers of heels, this application being a division of application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 193,386, filed May 21, 1927, in my name.

In the manufacture of womens shoes, it is customary to cover therear and the sides of wood heels, for example, with a s ngle piece of cover material commonly known as a side cover and to turn the top, the forward, and the bottom marginal portions of thls cover over upon the attaching face, the

breast, and the top-lift face of the heel respectively. After the side cover together with its inturned margins has been secured to the heel, the breast of the heel is usually covered with a separate piece of material which is secured to the uncovered portion ofthe breast and to the inturned marginal portions of the side cover. In Louis heel work the breast cover usually consists of a thin piece of leather commonly referred to as'a breast flap which is split'fr om the heel portion of a sole and attachedto the sole at the shank portion thereof. The'breast cover in the finished shoe should present a smooth curve from one breast edge of the heel to the other and it is therefore customary to bevel the inturned marginal portions of the side cover upon the breast of the heel in order that the edge of the inturned cover will not be visible through the thin breast cover in the form of a bulge extending heightwise of the heel after the breast cover has been applied to the shoe. As a further result of this operation, the glazed grain surfaces of the inturned marginal portion of the cover are removed and upset flesh surfaces of the marginal portions are provided to which portions the breast cover may beeasily and effectively secured. V Heretofore, the'abovementioned beveling operation has been performed by hand, the operator makinga draw out with a drag knife 'firstalong one inturnedmargin of the side cover and then along the other inturned margin of the side cover. Hand bevelingis slow and causes many imperfections in heels since, at best,

the skiving is likely to be done unevenly. Frequently, the knife cuts through the side cover at the breast edge during the beveling operation, thereby exposing the wood heel in the finished shoe; This defect is especially likely to appear if the marginal inturned portion does not adhere properly to the heel breast or where the operator is using a dull knife, since a dull knife, especially when it is moved slowly, has atendency to drag the leather during the trimming operation and to rip the same along the sharp breast edge of the heel.

United States Letters Patent there is disclosed a machine constructed and arranged to skive expeditiously the inturnedmarginal portions of side covers applied to the breast of heels and comprising a band knife, said machine having means for flexing a portion of the knife to form a convex portion thereof and gages with which the breast and a side of the heel being operated upon are engaged for positioning the heel so that the inturned marginal portions of a side cover laid upon the breast of the heel are trimmed by the flexed portion of the knife as the heel is guided past the knife.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved meth- 0d of performing the above-mentioned skiving or beveling operation, by the practice of which the inturned margins of side covers secured or overlaid upon the breasts of heels may be accurately trimmed rapidly in order to prepare the breasts of the heels for re ceiving breast covers. With this object in vi ew my invention in one aspect comprises trimming simultaneously opposite inturned marginal portions of a heel cover laid upon the breast of a heel. In carrying out my invention with the aid of the machine above referred to in its application to heels the upper breast portions of each of which projects forwardly of the heel and is convexed laterally thereof as exemplified in heels of the Louis type, the marginal portions of the cover onthe lower part of each of the heel breasts, may be trimmed simultaneously by cuts starting about midway between the top- In the above identified application for lift-receiving face and the attaching face of the heel and progressing toward the t0p-lift face of the heel. The heel may then be reversed and the marginal portions of the side cover uponthe upper projecting part of the breast of the heel may be beveled in successive operations by trimming cuts each start ing below the place where the first cut was started and progressing toward the attacl ing face of the heel. The steps of this method may be reversed, however, if it is found more advantageous to trim the marg' ial'portions or one of the marginal portions of the upper part of the breast previously to trimming the marginal portion at the lower part of the breast. Nhen operating upon heels the breasts of which are not bulged laterally thereof, such as Cuban heels, for example, the inturned marginal portions of the cover ofthe breast of the heel may be beveled simultaneously by a trimming cut progressing from 0118181161 of the heel to the other or by starting the trimming in the vicinity of the middle of the breast of'th'e heel and working toward .the top lift attaching face or the attachin face, thereafterreversing the heel and completingthe trimming by simultaneously beveling the untrimmed parts of the cover margins.

'l/Vith the'above-and other objects in view the-invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and pointed-outin the claims.

' In the-drawings,

1 15111 is a. perspective-view illustrating the relative positions o-f'a partially covered Louis heel and instrumentalities for positioning and trimming the marginal portions of a heel side cover which has been intur-ned upon the breast of the heel, the heel being shown in the process of having the lower parts of the inturned marginal portions of its side cover beveled simultaneously as the heel is moved toward the operator;

:Fig.2 is a perspective view illustrating the heel shown in Fig. 1 int-he process of having the left upper inturned marginalportions of its side cover beveled as the heel is guided past the trimming instrumentalities;

Fig.3 illustrates theheel shown in Fig. 2 in.theprocess of having the right upper inturned marginal portion of its side cover beveled and r Fig. t is a perspective view corresponding to-F'ig. 1 but illustrating a Cuban heel in the process 'of having inturned side cover marginal. portions upon the upper part of its breast beveled simultaneously.

In the manufacture of shoes it is customary to apply to the rear 20 and to the sides 22 of'a heel a single .piece of cover material 24 commonly known. as a side cover and to -securethe top, the front, and the bottom-marginal portions 26,28, and of the side cover upon the attaching face 32, the breast 34, and.

where the breast cover overlapsan untrimmed marginal edge of the inturned portion 28 of the side cover upon the breast of the heel, it is customary to beveltheinturned marginal portion of the side cover by a cut starting at the breastedge 38 of the heel and tapering .to a 'feather edge at or near the marginal portion 40' of the inturned port-ion I 28 of'the side cover. This beveling operation, as above stated, not only improves the appearance of. the breast of the heel butalso trims from the int-urned marginal portion of the side cover its glazed surface, thereby leaving upon the heel breast a rough flesh portionof the inturned margin to which the breast cover may be more effectively secured.

It has been found convenient to perform this method with theaidcf'the above-identilied machine, enlya small portion of which need be illustrated and described in this application. This machinecomprises a-band knife l l having a cutting edge 46, one side of the band knife being engaged ofrollslS, 505 (Fig. 1) and the other side of the knife being en aged by a roll 52 positioned between the rolls48 and 50 and-rotatably mounted upon a bifurcated portion 54 ofa'holddown member 56. This holddown member maybe adjusted in a path as indicated by arrows 58 in order that it will cooperate with the rolls 48, 50 to flex the cutter for forming a trimming portion 60 thereof. The fiexure of the band knife with in'l-iinits may thus easily be changed according to thesizes and styles of heels being operated upon. In order properly to locate the heel relatively to the flexed trimming portion 60' of the knife for performing the beveling operation, the h el is positioned relatively to the flexed portion 60 of the knife 4-4; by engaging aside 22 of'the heel adjacent to the breast edge38 of the heel witha side gage 62-and by engaging the breast 34 of the heel with the lower surface 64 of a downwardly extending breastgage 66 secured to the holddown member 56.

. .In order to perform the trimming operation with the aid of the machine referred to,

the operator presents the heel to the machine (Figs. 1 and 4) with a portion of the side of thehee'l adjacent to the breast edge 38 engaging the sidelgagefif l and the central portion of the breast ofthe heel engaging the by a pair lower surface 84 ofthe breast gage 66. After the heel has been thus positioned relatively to the flexed portion 60 of the knife 44, the

heel may be drawn toward the operator past the knife in a general direction-indicatedby arrow 68, while the breast of the heel-is engaged against the breast gage 66 and a side or" the heel adjacent to the breast edge 38 engages the side'gage 62, the operator controlling the depth of the beveling cut by tipping the heel about the breast gage66 as a pivot. The side gage 62 which is clearly de scribed in the above-identified application is operated toward and away from the'breast gage 66 through mechanism (not illustrated) by the knee of theoperator during the beveling operation in such a manner as to control the position of the heel laterally'thereof so that the lowest transverse section of the flexed portion of the knife will be in line with the heightwise median line of the breast of the heel. By this arrangement it is possible to trim equal amounts of surplus material from each of the opposite inturned marginalportions 28 of the cover during the beveling operation. i

After the lower ,marginal portions of the cover upon the breast of the heel have been trimmed as far as the top-lift attaching face 36 of the heel, the heel is then turned around to a position illustrated in Fig. 2 andflthe left upper inturned marginal portion of the cover along the projecting portion 71 of the breast of the Louis heel is beveled by a cut starting upon the breast of theheel just below the upper part 72 (Fig. l) of the abovemcntioned cut and continuing to. the attaching face 32 of the heel as. the heel is drawn past the flexed portion 60 of the knife, the breast 34 of the heel and a side 22 of the heel adjacent to the breast edge 38 thereof being held in engagement with the breast gage 66 and the side gage 62 respectively during the trimming operation. In o'derto complete the beveling of the inturned marginal portions 28. of the cover, the heel is presented to the machine as illustrated in F 3, the breast edge 38 of the heel having been lowered so that the side of the heel engages a lower portion of the side gage 62 than that shown in Fig. 2 in contact with the heel and the heel engaging thebreast gage 66 adjacent to the upper right inturned marginal portion of the cover. This beveling cut is started at a position on the breast of the heel just below the upper part 7 6 of the firsttrimming cut above described and continues to the attaching face 32 of the heel as the heel is again drawn past the flexed portion 60 of the knife 44 to bevel the opposite inturned marginal portion of the cover. By starting the beveling cut at the central portion ofthe breast of the heel and moving the heelheight wise of itself past the knife as above described, the operator is able accurately to control the position of the heel f relatively to the knife during theoperation and is able to form quickly, along the marginal inturned In OPGItttingz'UPOll a Cuban heel the operator simultaneously trims the marginal in turned portions upon the upper part of the breast as the heel is moved? past. the knife 1 in a-direction ndicated-'byarrow 7 3 and after -re .*ers1ng the heelbevels simultaneously the two inturned marginal portions of 'the side 'eover upon the-lower par-tot the breast of theheelp 1 I While applicant has described one order of steps during vthetrimming of the inturned marginalportions of the cover of a Louis heel, it is clear that, as'above indicated, the order of the steps may be varied so as to trim the inturned marginal portions of the cover .on the upper part of the heel prior to simultaneously bev eling the marginal' inturnedportions of'the cover on the lower part of the heel or the marginal inturnedportions of the coverat the lower part of the heel may be trimmed between the separate operations of trimming theup'per parts of -the inturned marginal portions of the cover upon the breast of the heel. In-trimming Cubanheels for the'purpose above described the order of operation maybe varied sons to bevel simultaneously the lower interned marginal portion of the: cover previously to beveling the upper inturnedmarginal portion of the: cover: or it may-besometimes found ad'- vantageous to bevel simultaneously the opposite overlaid marginal portions ofthe-cover by" cuts=progressing in one dir'ectioir'and starting atoneend of theheel and terminating at theother endof the heel.- [Having described" theinvention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitediStates is:

1. That step in the method of treating the overlaid marginal portions of a heel cover vapplied to theioppositelateral portions of the breast of a heel which comprises trimming simultaneously both ofthe marginal portions of said'heelcover. I

. r 2. That step'in the method :of treating the overlaid marginal portions of a heel cover applied to the opposite lateral portions of the breast ofa heel which comprises 'bex' eling simultaneously both of the marginal portions of said heel coverm 3. The method of treatingthe inturned margins of aheel cover upon the lateral marginal portions of the breast of a heelwhich comprises presenting the breast of the heel relatively to a trimming member and bevel ing simultaneously saidlateral marginal portions of the'he'el jcover. I Y 4; The inethodof treating the overlaid margins of a heel cover upon the breast of a heel'whieh consists in: beveling the marginal portions onwthe lowerpart of the breast of theiheel :andthe marginal portions onthe upper part ofthe-sbreast. of. the heelby separate operations.

'5. .The method tr treating the overlaid margin ofwa heel cover-:uponthe breast of a heel which: comprises trimming. the marginal portions of the cover by trimming-cuts which start in thewicinity'of the midd-le ofthe breast of 'thefiheelrand; proceed toward the attaching :face and: the top-lift-reeeiving face of theheel respectively. 1

-6. The method of treating' the inturned margins of a heel cover upon the breast ofa heel which comprises beveling the marginal portions on the lower part iofzthe'breast of the heel =and the marginalportionsbn the upperpart "of the breast'ofthe heel by separate operationsywhich progress along said margins iir'opposite' directions.

7. T hecm'ethod of-beveling the marginal portions of a cover overlaid uponzthe breast of-a heel, whichcomprises beveling the marginal portions on the upper andthe lower parts of-the breast of theheel by separate op-- erations, the cutswhich bevel the cover-starting in=the-vicinity of the central portion of the breast of the heelandprogressing-heightavise'ofithe heel. a

8. The method ofbeveling-t-he marginal portions of' a heel-cover applied to the breast of wheel, which-comprises.bevelingthe mar- "beveling operationsstartin-gzat points near ginal portions-on the upper and lower parts of the-"breast of-the heel by separate operations, the bevelingoperations being started atJpointS onthe-heel breastwhichare located betvveen the attaching faceand the top-liftreceiving face ofvthe heel *andprogressing toward-theattaching face and" the top' liftreceiving face of the heel: respectively.

9. "The method of beveling the marginal portions of a'heel side coveroverlaid upon the breast of a heel, which consists intrim- :mi-ng7simultaneously:the'two marginal portions of the cover ont-he lower'part of the breast, thenrreversing the heel and beveling successively the anarginali portions on the upper partofz the" breast. 3

10. The method of beveling the marginal portionsof a1heel side cover overlaid upon 'aaheel breast which comprises beveling simultaneously thetwo marginal portions on the lower part of. the. breast; ofthe :heel and beve-lingthe twomarginalportions on the upper part of the heel. by separate operations, the

the vcentersot thebreast of the heel' and progressing toward the Itop-lift-receiving face and the attaching face of the heel respectively. I p

r11. Thenmethod of treating the inturned marginal portions of a-heelicover upon the breast/of a Louis heel which consists in presenting the breastof the heel-to a cutter having a convex cutting edge and causing relative movement between the heel and the cutter for bevelingsimultaneously the two marginal portions on the lower concave part of the breast of the heel and beveling in separate operationsthe two marginal portions on the upper convexpart of the breast of the heel.

12. The method of treating the inturned marginal portions of aheel cover overlaid upon the breast-of a Louis heel which consists in presenting the central portion of the heel breast to a cutter having a convex cutting edge and beveling simultaneously the two marginal portions on the lower concave part of the-breast of'the heel by cuts progressing ina direction alongthe breast of the heel and beveling the two marginal portions on the upper convex part of thebreast of the heel by cuts progressing along the breast of the heel in a direction opposite to the direction of the first-named cuts.

13. The method of treating the inturned marginal portions of a heel cover overlaid upon the breast of a Louis heel which consists in presenting the breast of the heel to a cutter having a convex cutting edge mounted for movement lengthwise thereof and beveling simultaneously the two marginal portions on a concave portion ofthe breast of the heel vand beveling the two margilnal portions upon a convex portion of the breast of the heel in separate operations each of which progresses along the marginal portions in a direction opposite to said first beveling operation. i I

14. The method of treating the marginal portions of a heel cover overlaid upon the breast of a Louis heel. which consists in presenting thecentral portion of the breast of the heel to a cutter having a convex cutting edge, drawing the heel past the cutter to bevel simultaneously the marginal portions of the cover on the lower concave portion of the breast of the heel, reversing the heel, and beveling the marginal portions of-the cover on the upper convex portion of the breast of the heel by two cuts which are made successively and start at the central portion of the heel breast as the heel is drawn past the cutter. 7

15. The method of treating the marginal portions of a heel cover upon the breast of a Louis heel which consists in presentingthe central portion of the heel breast to a cutter having a convex cutting edge, drawing the heel past the cutter to bevel simultaneously said marginal portions on the lower concave part of the breast of the heel by cuts progrossing during their formation in a general the cutter for beveling the marginalportion of the cover on the convex part of the breast of the heel by cuts, each of which progresses in a general direction opposite to the direction in which the first-named cuts progress.

16. The method of treating the marginal portions of a heel side cover overlaid upon the breast of a heel which consists in centralizing the breast of the heel relatively to a cutter having a convex cutting edge, beveling simultaneously the two marginal portions of the cover on the central and the lower concave parts of the heel by moving the centralized heel past the cutter, reversing the heel, and beveling successively the marginal portions on the upper convex part of the breast as the heel is again moved past the cutter, the heel being positioned relatively to the cutter during the heel beveling opera tion by utilizing the breast and a side of the heel as gaging surfaces.

17. The method of treating the inturned marginal portions of a heel cover overlaid upon the breast of a heel which consists in presenting the central portion of the breast of the heel to a cutter having a convex cutting edge and beveling simultaneously the two marginal portions on the lower concave part of the breast of the heel as the heel is moved past the cutter by cuts progressing along the breast of the heel, and beveling the two marginal portions on the upper convex part of the breast of the heel as the heel is moved past the cutter by cuts progressing along the breast of the heel in a direction opposite to the direction of progress of the first-named cuts, said heel being presented to and moved past the cutter during the beveling operation by utilizing a side and the breast of the heel as gaging surfaces in order to remove the proper amount of material from each of the marginal portions of the cover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES G. BROSTROM. 

